How to Install a Wi-Fi Thermostat (and a Giveaway!)

Remember when I told you a few months ago that my house would soon be "smarter" because I was getting a Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control? Well, it's here-and it. is. awesome!! Today I'm going to share with you how to install this fancy little thing as well as give you a chance to win your own!

I was so excited when, just before the holidays, my new thermostat arrived in the mail. I decided to install it on a rainy Saturday morning-first I watched the installation video to get an idea of what I would be doing (it helped!) All I needed for the install was a couple of screwdrivers, my phone camera (I'll explain in a moment), and my computer!

**Before you begin turn OFF the power to your heat/air units at the breaker box according to the instructions.**

I started by taking the current thermostat off its base and setting it aside. I took a picture of the current thermostat wiring per the instructions for referencing later. I also used the included adhesive tags to label my wires according to their current positions. Then I began to release the wires using a small screwdriver. My original thermostat was also a Honeywell model, albiet not quite as fancy!

Once my wires were loose I unscrewed the old base from the wall. Now I was ready to install the new base! I positioned the base over the wires and used screws to attach it to the wall (use a level before screwing it in!)

Once the base was attached I was ready to reattach the wires! I used the reference picture I took and the labels to attach the wires to the new Honeywell unit. It was very easy to simply push them in the appropriate hole until they clicked. I did have to use needlenose pliers towards the end to manipulate the wires but my wires were very short and stiff so the last few were harder to get in the place I wanted!

After hooking the wires back up I annotated which wires I used in the instruction guide so that I could reference the info during the setup process.

After that it was as easy as snapping the thermostat unit to the base and turning the power to the heat and ac units back on!

Now came the fun part! The unit walked me through a simple step by step setup process including hooking it up to my home wireless network.

I was also able to access the Menu and change the colors of the display…I experimented with making it match my wall color, the colors of the painting that hangs above it-I even tried out Valentine's colors recently!

One of the coolest features of the thermostat though is the voice control. Simple say "Hello Thermostat" followed by your instructions and adjusts! It also has a smart feature that learns your habits and preferences over time so it can anticipate how to make you most comfortable. I love that! And last but most definitely not least, it has a handy-dandy app that I loaded right on my iPhone so I can control it from afar…think about turning the temperature way down while you're on vacation but adjusting it back up to normal before you get home-love it!

Comments

Wow, that’s pretty impressive. I love the app! We are always coming home to a cold house after a vacation. It would be amazing to turn the heat up on our way home and be toasty warm as soon as we stepped in the door.

I’ve been looking at to getting a wifi thermostat and just have been asking around about them. I was a little hesitant after hearing how buggy some variations can be. Thank you for this chance (however long it may be)

This looks so much more modern than the one I have in my living room. I love the voice command and the fact that I can control it from a remote location. Those two are the perks of this product for me. So cool!